Conveyer



Nov. 25, 1947. v. A. RAYBURN ET AL;

CONVEYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 21, 1945 INVENTORS VA. RAYBURN 0.6. ROBSON ATTORNEY CONVEYER Filed Dec. 21, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MA; RAVBURN ac. R0 so/v A T TORNEV Patented Nov. 25, 1947 CONVEYER Vincent A. Rayburn and Duer C. Robson, Baltimore, Md., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 21, 1945, Serial No. 636,402

Claims.

This invention relates to conveyers and more particularly to conveyers for carrying reels.

In the operation of a conveyer for carrying reels of wire over a closed path. reels being loaded onto such a'conveyer must be placed on portions of the conveyer which are not already occupied with reels in order to avoid fouling between reels already on the conveyer and reels being loaded thereon. If reels are loaded manually upon the conveyer, careful and heavy work is required.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved conveyers.

A conveyer forming one embodiment of the invention comprises an article-engaging element, means for advancing the article-engaging element along a predetermined path, and means for positioning an article in said path. Also provided are pneumatic means including a supply line of compressed air for driving the article positioning means, a valve positioned in the supply line which, when closed, prevents the operation of the article positioning means, a solenoid which, when actuated, closes the valve, means operable by an article carried by the article-engaging element for actuating the solenoid, a. second solenoid which, when actuated, opens the valve, and means for actuating the second solenoid.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of a conveyer constituting a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevation of a conveyer forming one embodiment of the invention, with portions thereof broken away, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic view of the conveyer.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, an endless conveyer chain ill (Fig. 1) serves to carry a plurality of hook assemblies, of which a hook assembly H is shown, along an endless track I 2. A trolley [5 supports the chain and the hook assemblies on the track, and the chain It! carries trip rolls, illustrated by a trip roll [6, a predetermined distance in advance of the hook assemblies. The chain is advanced continuously along the track l2 by a suitable sprocket (not shown) and carries the hook assemblies and the trip rolls along the track toward the right, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. Since the operation and function of each of the hook assemblies and the trip rolls is the same, only the hook assembly I I and the trip roll IE will be referred to in detail.

As the chain advances the hook assembly II along the track I2, the trip roll l6 engages an L-shaped cam l1 rigidly secured to a shaft 20 and turns the cam 11 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, from its full-line position to its broken-line position. When the cam I1 is so turned, the shaft 20 also is turned and the shaft turns a vane 2| of a valve 22 from its fullline position to its broken-line position. When the vane is in its broken-line position, the valve 22 connects a supply pipe 25 with a pipe 28, and when air under pressure is supplied to the pipe 25, the air flows through the pipe 26 to the lower portion of a cylinder 21 of an air hoist 28. The air under pressure then forces a piston 33 upwardly in the cylinder 21, and a carriage 31 mounted on a piston rod 32 is raised from its fullline position to its broken-line position. A reel 33 may be positioned on the carriage between stops 34 and 35 secured to the carriage, and when the carriage is raised the reel positioned on the carriage is carried into the path if the hook assembly ll. As the piston 30 is moved upwardly in the cylinder 21, air forced fromthe upper portion of the cylinder is conveyed by a pipe to the valve 22, which connects the pipe to an exhaust pipe 4|.

As the hook assembly ll advances further toward the right a horn 43 enters a hole 44 formed in the reel 33. Meanwhile, the trip roll 15 rolls alongs a dwell portion 45 formed on the cam I! and maintains the cam in its broken-line position so that the vane 2| is kept in a, position in which the pipe 25 is connected with the pipe 26. When the horn 43 is directly over the carriage 31, the horn 43 will be substantially full-way into the hole 44 of the reel 33. At that point the trip roll l3, which has passed beyond the cam ll, engages an L-shaped cam 46 and moves the cam 46 from its broken-line position to its full-line position, whereby a link 41 connected to a projection 48 of the cam I1 is moved in a clockwise direction from its broken-line position to its full-line position. When the arm 48 is so moved, the vane 2| is moved from its broken-line position to its full-line position so that the supply pipe 25 is connected with the pipe 40 and the exhaust pipe 4| is connected with the pipe 26. Air under pressure is supplied through the pipes 25 and 40 to the upper portion of the cylinder 21 and forces the piston 30 to the bottom of the cylinder. Meanwhile, the pipe 26 serves to exhaust the lower portion of the cylinder 21 and guides air contained therein to the exhaust pipe 4|. As air is supplied to the upper portion of the cylinder 21 and the air in the lower portion of the cylinder 21 is exhausted, the carriage 3| is moved downwardly away from the reel 33 leaving the reel deposited 3 upon the horn 43, which carries the reel along the track I2.

While the carriage 3I is being lowered the trip roll I6 rolls along a dwell portion 49 of the cam 45. After the trip roll I6 has moved from the dwell portion 49 of the cam 46, it strikes an arm 50 connected to a contactor 5I of a normally open reset switch 52 and moves the contactor into engagement with a contact 53 of the reset switch. The contact 53 is connected by a conductor 55 to a conductor 56 of a power line 51. The contactor 5I is connected by a conductor 55 to a Winding SI of a solenoid 62, and the winding Si is connected by a conductor 66 toa conductor 5'! of the power line 51.

When the contactor 5| is moved into engagement with the contact 53, the winding (SI of the solenoid 62 is energized, whereby an armature 58 of the solenoid 62 is raised and raises a valve head Ill having tapered ends II and I2. The solenoid 62 and the valve head 15 form a portion of a valve assembly I5, and the valve head I5 is mounted in an auxiliary valve chamber I6 of the valve assembly and normally is pressed against a valve seat H by a compression spring I8. When the solenoid 62 is actuated it raises the valve head IE1. out of engagement with the valve seat I! and into engagement with a valve seat I9 formed in the opposite end of the auxiliary valve chamber I3, whereby an exhaust port 80 is opened and a supply port 8| is closed. The supply port 8I, when open, connects the chamber I6 to a supply passage 82 in the valve assembly I5 connected to a main supply pipe 85 leading from a supply of air under pressure (not shown).

When the exhaust port 80 is opened to the auxiliary valve chamber I5, it serves to exhaust air from the valve chamber I6 and from the end of a main valve chamber 85 connected with the auxiliary valve chamber I6 by a connecting port 3?. The valve chamber 85 is connected to thesupply pipe 85 by an inlet port 98 and is connected to the supply pipe 25 by an outlet port BI. A connecting port 92 serves to connect the main valve chamber 86 to an auxiliary valve chamber 95 in which a valve head 96 having tapered ends 9'! and 98 is mounted. The tapered. end 91 is designed to fit against a valve seat I and the tapered end 98 isdesigned to fit against a valve seat It I. The

valve seat I08 terminates a supply port I03 connected with a supply passage I04 leading to the supply pipe 85 and the'valve seat IElI terminates an exhaust port I05. The valve head 93. is urged downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 2, by a compression spring I 35, which normally holds the tapered end 98 of the valve head 95 against the valve seat IfiI to close off the exhaust port I05.

When the solenoid I32 is actuated, the. tapered end 'II of the valve head I is moved into engagement with the valve seat I9, whereby the valve chamber 16 isclosed from the supply pas-- sage 82 and the main supply pipe 85. The exhaust port 8!] then exhausts any air under pressure in the valve chamber I6, so that the air under pressure in the left end of the main valve chamber 86, as viewed in Fig. 2, presses against the left hand end III], as viewed in Fig. 2, of. a piston III, which is connected by a rod IIZ to a piston H5. The pistons II I and. I I5 and the rod IIZ are mounted for free sliding movement in the main valve chamber 85 and are moved to the right by the air under pressure until the right hand end IIIi of the piston II5 engages the right end of the valve chamber.

When the pistons m and H5 and. the rod I R are so moved, the piston II5 moves from its broken-line position, as seen in Fig. 2, to its fullline position. When the piston I I5 is in its broken-line position, it closes off the inlet port 90 from the outlet port 9I, but when the piston II5 is in its full-line position, the air is free to pass from. the inlet port 90 to the outlet port 8 I. Thus, when the piston H5 is in its full-line. position, air under pressure from the main supply pipe is supplied to the supply pipe 25 and is conveyed by the latter to the valve 22. Thus, when the L-shaped cam I! is moved from its full-line position to its broken-line position, compressed air is supplied to the. pipe 26 to raise thehoist 28.

An armature H9 of a solenoid I20 is connected to the valve headfifi and is raised when a winding I 2I of the solenoid I20 is energized. When the winding I2! is energized, the tapered end 91 of the valve head 96 is moved into engagement with the valve seat I06), and the valve chamber 95 is shut ofi from the passage I04 and is connected with the exhaust port I55. When the valve chamber 95 is shut oil" from the passage I04 and the ex haust port I05 is connected withthe valve chamber 55, air is exhausted. from the left end of the main valve chamber. 85. This creates an unbalance of pressure on the ends of the pistons, and air under a greater pressure pressing against the end H6 of the piston II5 urges the pistons H5 and III and the rod. II2. toward. the left to their broken-line positions, inwhich positions the end IIB of the piston II'I strikes the left end of the valve chamber. 86. At this time, the piston II5 serves to shut off the inlet port from the outlet port 9|, and when the vane 2| is moved from its full-line position to its broken-line position, no air under pressure is. supplied to the lower :portion of the cylinder 2T and the carriage 3I is not raised.

The winding I2'I is connectedito the conductor 31 of the power line 51 by a conductor I25 and the conductor 55, and a conductor I25 serves toconnect the winding I2I to a contactor I'2'I of a block-out switch I30, which includes a contact I3I. The contact I3I is connected, by a conductor I32 to the conductor 56 or the power line 51. When the hook assembly I I approaching the loader carries a reel, illustrated" by a reel I35, toward the hoist 28, the reel I35 strikes a shoe I33 and moves the shoe from its full-line position, as seen in Fig. 2, to. its broken-line position. The shoe I35 is connected to an arm I31 and a counterweighted arm I38, and,,when the shoe I35 is engaged by the reel I35, the shoe, the arm I31 and the counterweighted arm I38 are moved from their full-line positions to their broken-line positions and the arm I31 closes the switch I30. When the switch I 33 is closed, the winding I2I of the solenoid I20 is energized, thereby causing the valve assembly I5 to shut off the supply pipe 85 from the supply pipe 25, so thatno compressed air is supplied to the valve. 22 until the solenoid 62. is again actuated.

The hook assembly I I moves the reel I35 out of engagement, with the shoe I36 and, the trip roll I6 strikes the L-shaped, cam I1. and moves it from its full-line position to its broken-line. position. This turns the L-shaped cam 46 and the vane 2I from their full-line positions to their broken-line positions. While. the. supply pipe 25 and the pipe 25 are connected-atv this time, no air under pressure is. supplied to the supply pipe 25 and the hoist 28. isnot raised. so that no reel is elevated by the hoist into the path of the reel I35 carried on the hook; assembly ll.

The hook assembly II then carries the reel I35 above the hoist 28, the trip roll IB engages the L-shaped cam 46 and moves it from its brokenline position to its full-line position, and the vane 2| is moved from its broken-line position to its full-line position. The trip roll It then strikes the arm 50'and the contactor 5I is moved into engagement with the contact 53, and the winding GI of the solenoid 62 is energized. The solenoid 62 draws the valve head 10 upwardly and moves the tapered end 'I.I thereof into engagement with the valve seat 19, and the tapered end 12 thereof out of engagement with the valve seat Tl. This exhausts air from the auxiliary valve chamber I6, and air under pressure at the left end of the main valve chamber 86 urges the pistons III and H5 from their broken-line positions to their full-line positions thereby connecting the supply pipe 85 to the supply pipe 25.

After the pistons III and H5 have been so moved, the trip roll I6 moves out of engagement with the arm 50 and the engagement between the contactor 5I and the contact 53 is broken, which deenergizes the winding BI. The valve head I then is urged by the compression spring I8 against the valve seat 11 and away from the valve seat 79, whereby the supply port BI is opened to the auxiliary valve chamber I6. Air under pressure then is supplied to the chamber I6 and the connecting port 81, but the air under pressure in the left end of the main valve chamber 86 keeps the slidable pistons I I I and I I in their full-line positions. When a hook assembly (not shown) similar to the hook assembly II, but not carrying a reel, is advanced by the chain Ill toward the hoist 28, and a trip roll (not shown) identical with the trip roll I6 carried by the chain IIJ engages the L-shaped cam I! and moves it from its full-line position to its broken-line position, air under pressure is supplied to the lowerportion of the cylinder 27 and the hoist 28 is actuated. The hoist 28 then moves upwardly and carries a reel thereon into the path of the hook assembly, which advances to a position in which the horn enters the hole in the center of the reel. When the hook assembly is directly over the hoist 28, the trip roll strikes the cam 46 and moves it from its broken-line position to its full-line position. This actuates the valve 22 to guide air under pressure to the upper portion of the cylinder 21 and exhaust air from the lower portion of the cylinder. This causes the carriage 3| to be lowered from its broken-line position to its full-line position leaving the reel on the horn.

In the operation of the conveyer described hereinabove, the chain It (Fig. 1) carries the hook assembly II along an endless path formed by the track I2 and carries the trip roll I6 at a predetermined distance in advance of the hook assembly I I. If the horn 43 of the hook assembly I I is not loaded and is advanced toward the hoist 28, the trip roll I3 engages the L-shaped cam I! to actuate the valve 22, to connect the supply pipe 25 to the pipe 26 and air under pressure actuates the hoist 28, whereby the piston 30, the piston rod 32 and the carriage 3| are raised from their full-line positions to their broken-line positions and the reel 33 is positioned in the path of the hook assembly II. The hook assembly II continues to advance to a position directly over the carriage 3|, in which position the horn 43 enters the hole 44 in the reel 33. At this time, the trip roll I6 moves out of engagement with the dwell portion 45 of the cam I1 and into engage ment with the L-s'haped cam 46, which has been moved to its broken-line position, and moves the L-shaped cam 46 from its broken-line position to its full-line position, whereby the valve 22 is actuated to the lower the hoist and the reel 33 is lowered upon the horn, which retains the reel thereon. Meanwhile, the hook assembly II and the trip roll I6 continue their movement toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, and the trip roll I6 moves into engagement with the arm 50 and closes the switch 52, whereby the solenoid 62 is actuated and air is exhausted from the auxiliary valve chamber I6 so that the pistons I II and H5 and the rod I I2 are maintained in their full-line positions and the valve 22 is operatively connected with the supply pipe 85.

The trip roll I6 moves out of engagement with the arm 50 and the reel 33 is carried along the endless path. The reel 33 then is removed from the hook assembly II ata point on the endless path where it is needed and the hook assembly is advanced back toward the loader where the abovedescribed operation is repeated with another reel similar to the reel 33.

When the hook assembly II carries a reel I35 thereon, which has been previously loaded thereon by the loader but has not been unloaded prior to the approach of the hook assembly II toward the loader, it is essential that a reel placedon the hoist 28 is not raised into a position similar to the broken-line position of the reel 33 in order that fouling be avoided. As the hook assembly I I and the reel I35 are advanced toward the loader 28, and before the trip roll I8 strikes the L-shaped cam I7, the reel I35 engages the shoe I36 and moves it from its full-line position to its brokenline position, whereby the switch I30 is closed. The closing of the switch I30 causes the pistons II and H5 and the piston rod II2 to be moved to their broken-line positions and the valve 22 is closed ofi from the supply of compressed air. The trip roll I6 then moves into engagement with the L-shaped cam I! and moves it from its fullline position to its broken-line position. But the hoist 28 is not raised because air under pressure is cut oiT from the valve 22 at this time.

The reel I35 is moved out of engagement with the shoe I36, which is moved back from its brokenline position to its full-line position by the counterweighted arm I38, whereby the switch I30 is opened. When the switch I39 is opened, the winding I2I of the solenoid I 20 is deenergized, whereby the valve head 96 is urged by the compression spring I05 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2. However, such movement of the valve head 96 does not cause any change of position of pistons HI and H5 because the air under pressure pressing against the end I I6 of the piston II5 maintains the pistons III and H5 in their broken-line positions. The hook assembly II, the reel I 35 and the trip roll I 6 continue to ad- Vance to the right and the trip roll engages and moves the L-shaped cam 46 from its broken-line position to its full-line position, whereby the valve 22 is actuated to close off the supply pipe 25 from the pipe 25. The trip roll then moves into engagement with the arm 50 and closes the switch 53, whereby the solenoid 62 is actuated and the pistons III and H5 and the rod II2 are moved from their broken-line positions to their full-line positions so that the valve 22 is operatively connected with the supply pipe 85. Thus the hoist 28 can be actuated by a trip roll associated with an unloaded reel assembly.

The loader serves to load reels surely and efiectively on the hook assembly I I and the other hook 7. assemblies are carried by the chain II] at spaced points therealong, and prevents fouling between reels carried by the hook assemblies and reels placed upon the hoist 28 as the hook assemblies are carried over the hoist.

What is claimed is:

1. In a conveyor, an article-engaging element, means for advancing the article-engaging element along a predetermined path, pressure-actuated means for positioning an article in said path, a valve for preventing the operation of the pressure-actuated means when in one position and for permitting the operation thereof when in a second position, a solenoid for moving the valve to the first position when actuated, a second solenoid for moving the valve to the second position when actuated, means placed adjacent to said path in a position in which it is engaged by an article carried by the article-engaging element when the article-engaging element carries the article toward the article-positioning means for actuating the first-mentioned solenoid, whereby the valve is moved to the first position, and means associated with the article-engaging element for actuating the second solenoid after the articleengaging element has been advanced beyond the article-positioning means.

2. In-a conveyor, means for conveying articles along a predetermined path, means for placing an article on the article-conveying means, a supply line for supplying air under pressure to the article-placing means to drive the placing means, a valve positioned in the supply line for closing the supply line to prevent the driving of the article-placing means, a solenoid for closing the valve when actuated, a second solenoid for opening the valve when actuated, means positioned adjacent to said path for actuating the first solenoid when .a full portion of the article-com veying means approaches the article-placing means, and means positioned adjacent to said path for actuating the second solenoid when a full portion of the article-conveying means leaves the article-placing means.

3. In a conveyor, a loader, means for conveying articles past the loader, pressure-actuated means for actuating the loader to load articles on the article-conveying means, a supply line for supplying a fluid under pressure to the pressureactuated means, a valve positioned in the supply line for preventing the actuation of the loader when closed, a solenoid for closing the valve when actuated, a second solenoid for opening the valve when actuated, a switch for actuating the first solenoid when closed, means positioned in the path of an article carried by a portion of the article-conveying means approaching the loader for closing the switch, a second switch for actuating the second solenoid when closed, and means carried by the conveying means for closing the second switch after a loaded portion of the article-conveying means is advanced past the loader.

' 4. In a conveyer, a loader, a hook assembly, means for advancing: the hook assembly past the loader, pressure-actuated means for driving the loader, a supply line for supplying a fluid under pressure to the pressure-actuated means, a valve positioned in the supply line for preventing the operation of the loader when closed, a solenoid for closing the valve when actuated, a switch for actuating the solenoid when closed, means positioned adjacent to the path of an article carried by the hook assembly as the article and the hook assembly are advanced toward the loader for closing the switch, a second solenoid for opening the valve when actuated, a second switch for actuating the second solenoid, and means carried by the hook assembly advancing means for closing the second switch after the hook assembly has been advanced past the loader.

5. In a conveyor, a hook assembly, a hoist for raising reels, means for advancing the hook assembly over the hoist, pneumatic means for raising the hoist, a supply line for supplying air under pressure to the pneumatic means, a valve positioned in the supply line, means for opening the valve, a striker carried by the hook assembly, advancing means for actuating the valve-opening means when the hook assembly is advanced toward the hoist, whereby the hoist raises a reel into the path of the hook assembly, means for closing the valve to cause the hoist to be lowered, said means being carried by the advancing means and serving to actuate the valve-closing means when the hook assembly is advanced to a position over the hoist, a second valve positioned in the supply line in series with the first-mentioned valve, a solenoid for closing the second valve when actuated, a switch for actuating the solenoid when closed, means positioned adjacent to the path of the hook assembly for closing the second switch when struck by a reel carried by the hook assem bly when the hook assembly is advanced toward the hoist, a second solenoid for opening the second valve when actuated, a second switch for actuating the second solenoid when closed, said second switch being positioned in the path of the striker at a point where the striker strikes the second switch after the hook assembly has been advanced past the hoist.

VINCENT A. RAYBURN. DUER C. ROBSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are or" record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,753,560 Emmert Apr. 8, 1930 2,012,397 Mottler Aug. 27, 1935 2,264,160 Flygore et a]. -e Nov. 25, 1941 

